False Pretenses
by XtremeChiq
Summary: RayNeela. Ray asks Neela to do him a favor, when he meets up with his ex-girlfriend.


Chapter One

"Marry me!" asked Ray as Neela walked into their apartment.

"Excuse me?" asked Neela, utterly confused as to what just happened.

"Marry me," asked Ray with a desperate look on his face. "I mean, not really, marry me, but just pretend."

"Ray. What are you talking about?" asked Neela, without the slightest clue as to why he asked her that.

"Alright, so I did the groceries, like you ask —"

Neela cut him off "Finally. And it only took me three days this time." She had a sarcastic look on her face. Ray remained in his desperate face. "Sorry."

"Anyway, I was getting the groceries, when I bumped into Heather. My ex-girlfriend."

"And how does this lead into me marrying you?"

"Well, she started talking and, mentioned that she was engaged." Ray took a bit of a pause. "So I said I was too"

"Ray! Why would you say something like that?"

"Well, I didn't think she would ever realized I lied. I mean, she broke up with me. I should have a better relationship than her, you know? But it blew up in my face." Neela looked at him, as if to tell him to go on. "She invited me and my 'fiancee' to dinner with her and her fiancee. So, now I need a fiancee." He looked at Neela.

"No." said Neela, without even considering it.

"Please. Come on Neela. I have no one else to ask!"

"Well, you shouldn't have lied. I'm not about to get in the way of you and one of you ex-girlfriends."

"Neela. Please! Help my ego." begged Ray.

"As enticing as that sounds, I'll have to pass." Neela began to move towards her room.

Ray, cut in front of her, and blocked the hall that led to her room. "Please." asked Ray in a soft voice. Neela shook her head. "Do I have to get on my hands and knees and beg?"

"Might help"

Quickly, Ray got onto his knees and started saying, "Please, Neela, please!"

"Ray, get up."

Ray got up, and looked at Neela in the eyes. "Neela, please just do this for me."

Neela looked in his eyes. There seemed to be something that needed this favor. "Fine."

"Really?" asked Ray, surprised that Neela finally gave in.

"Yes, fine. When and where."

"Tonight, Bertucci's, 8 o'clock."

"That fancy Italian place? How did she get a table with like 12 hours notice?"

"Her fiancee... kinda owns it." said Ray, not wanting to admit that his ex-girlfriend was going out with a successful business person.

"Well, then. I guess I'll have to get dressed up and eat nicely today." said Neela, a bit happy that she agreed to go.

"Thank you!" said Ray as he got out of her way. He began to walk to his room as he said, "I love you!" Neela gave him a look. "I mean, you know, as much as you can love a fake fiancee." He said. Neela grinned and walked into her room to get ready.

There was a knock on Ray's door. He opened it to find Neela standing there, in a gorgeous red gown.

"Can you zip me up?" asked Neela, as she held the back of her dress closed.

"Sure," Ray got out of the door way so that Neela could enter. He grabbed her zipper and slowly began to pull it up. It felt a bit awkward, and nice at the same time.

"Thanks." said Neela as she began to get out of his room.

"Oh wait!" said Ray before she left the room. He began searching through the mess in his room for something. Finally, he spotted the small black box. "I figured that I should get you something to make it more believable." He opened the box to reveal a ring.

"Ray –" said Neela speechless

"Oh, don't worry. It's fake."

"Oh," said Neela, a bit disappointed. "I'm sure you ex will be able to notice."

"Well then don't let her look." said Ray with a smirk. "I guess I should do this the proper way." Ray got onto one knee and said, "Neela, will you be my fake-fiancee."

Neela sighed. She looked at Ray. He obviously wanted her to go along with the role-play. "Ok." He slipped the fake diamond ring onto her hand, and pretended to cry.

"Very funny. You ready?" asked Neela

"Ugh, yeah, I guess."

"You're not even going to wear a tie?"

Ray looked at her, as if to say that there is no way he was going to wear a tie.

Neela gave in, "Ok, fine. Ready?"

"Let's go," said Ray in a weird voice.

As the two began to head towards the door, Neela tripped over Ray's clothing on the floor.

Ray cringed his face as seeing Neela fall. He lent her a hand to help her up. "Sorry about that. I've been meaning to clean up."

Neela grabbed his hand and he puller her up. She looked at Ray and said, "What a great way to start off the night."

"Do you want to drive?" asked Ray, hoping it would somehow make Neela feel better.

"Definitely. You'd have us killed by the time we'd get there." said Neela, grabbing the keys out of Ray's hand

"Oh, that's not fair. I'm not that bad."

"Trust me. You are," said Neela laughing as she began to walk out of the room. She almost once again tripped over an article of clothing, but spotted it before she stepped. She gave a show off look to Ray.

He grinned and followed her out.

"I am never driving with you again!" said Ray, as the two walked into the restaurant.

"Why? I don't speed 80 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone!"

"Because you drive, 5 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone."

"I was not going that slow." said Neela offended by the accusation.

"Two nuns passed us."

"They were very fast nuns," said Neela jokingly. The two chuckled.

Ray looked around, and spotted his ex. He sighed and asked Neela if she was ready.

"I guess." said Neela, not sounding too excited.

"Remember, you love me and we are happily engaged." said Ray. Neela gave him a look, before she turned around. Ray put his hand on her back and led her to the table.

Neela spotted a gorgeous tall blonde girl, in a very short dress. "That's your ex?" asked Neela surprised.

"Yeah," said Ray unhappily.

"I didn't know you went for the," Neela paused looking for the right words, "Barbie type."

"Ray?" asked the girl in a happy voice.

"Heather. This is my fiancee, Neela."

"Oh," said Heather in a surprised voice. "Um, I'm Heather, and this is my fiancee, Marcus."

"Pleasure to meet you," said Marcus as he shook Ray and Neela's hands. "The table is this way," said Marcus as he walked away.

Both Ray and Neela sighed simultaneously.

"This night should be fun," said Ray jokingly. Neela did not look amused.

"So Neela," Heather tried to make small talk, "What do you do. You know, for a living?"

"I work at County General Hospital." said Neela

"Oh, so you met Ray at work?" asked Heather, interested in Neela,

"Um, yea. We —"

Ray cut her off, "We've been living together the past few months."

Neela looked at Ray angered that he interrupted her. He looked at Neela, and mouthed, "Sorry".

"So, have you guys set a date yet?" asked Heather.

"Um, no not yet," replied Neela, unsure of what to say.

"Well, if I were you, I would make it soon. Ray has a habit of leaving when things get tough."

"Heather," said Ray, disapprovingly of what she said.

"Well it's true. Did Ray tell you that we were engaged?" Heather asked Neela with an angry expression on her face.

"Uh," Neela was lost in the moment and unaware of what to say, "No."

"Well we were, for, what was it, a year?"

"Heather, that's enough," Said Ray trying, to get her to stop.

"I thought that you said that she broke up with you?" asked Neela angry at Ray for lying to her.

"Oh I did. After I realized that the only reason he proposed was because he felt like he had to. But then he never really did anything for the wedding. So I threw the ring back at him." Heather looked at her fiancee Marcus. "Looks like I made the right choice."

Ray sighed. "Ok, it looks that this evening was a mistake. Um, I'm going to go," He looked at Neela, "Are you coming?"

Neela quietly said," Yeah. Um, Thank you for dinner."

Marcus nodded his head, and motioned for Heather to rise.

Ray, put his hand onto Neela's back and led her out into the car. This time, Ray drove. There was an awkward silence in the car as the two traveled home.

Ray opened the door to their apartment, and like a gentleman, let Neela in first. He began to walk towards his room, when he heard Neela call him name. He stopped, but did not reply.

"Ray? I'm sorry about what happened tonight."

"It's not your fault," said Ray, still standing with his back to her.

Neela walked over to ray, and he turned to face her.

"Why was it so important that you go to this dinner with her?" asked Neela, wondering why Ray would put himself through that torture.

"I guess, I just wanted to prove her wrong. You, know, that I could have a long relationship with someone, without bailing."

"Are you afraid of commitment or something?"

"I don't know!" argued Ray," I guess, maybe. Look, it's really complicated."

"Well, explain it to me," said Neela, hoping to learn more about her roommate.

"I don't know. When I met Heather, I really liked her. Then after about two years, she was kinda hinting that she wanted to be engaged. Well, it seemed like the next step in our relationship. Only problem was, I didn't think that I was in love. Anyway, she started planning everything, and I wasn't sure, so I kinda didn't do anything. That's when she broke up with me."

"Oh," whispered Neela.

"We had a pretty bad break-up, you know, it involved things being broken. Anyway, when I saw her, I felt like I had to prove her wrong. Show her that I've changed."

"Ray, I'm sorry. No offense, but it kinda seems like your stuck in the past. You need to move from her."

"I did. It's just that when I saw her, it brought back all these memories." he looked at Neela. "Anyway, um, I'm pretty beat. I think I'm going to crash for the night."

"Ok," said Neela with a smile. She began to walk away, when she tuned around and said, "Hey Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Letting me in," she replied with a smile.

Ray smiled back and said, "No problem. Night roomie."

"Night. Hey Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," he gave her a funny look, that she returned back," As much as you can love an roomie, what did you think I meant?" Joked Neela. She turned back around and walked to her room.

Ray watched her as she walked back. He chuckled, and whispered to himself, "I love you too."


End file.
